Gordon Ryan took to Instagram yesterday to criticize Craig Jones Invitational’s contract policies following reports that Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson has withdrawn from his highly anticipated grappling debut against Craig Jones at CJI 2.
In his post, the retired submission grappling king suggested that CJI’s lack of pull-out clauses in their athlete contracts enabled Steveson’s last-minute withdrawal, implying that stricter contractual obligations would have prevented the situation.
The Steveson vs. Jones supermatch was positioned as one of CJI 2’s marquee attractions, bringing together the Olympic wrestling champion and the Australian submission specialist in a cross-discipline showdown. Steveson’s withdrawal leaves a significant hole in the August 30-31 event’s lineup just days before the competition.
Ryan’s criticism touches on a broader issue in combat sports regarding athlete commitments and financial protections for promoters. Pull-out clauses typically include financial penalties for withdrawing fighters, creating stronger incentives to honor commitments.
This isn’t the first time Gordon has been critical of CJI’s business practices, and his comments add another layer to the ongoing tensions between different factions in the grappling world.
With CJI 2 just days away, Craig Jones and his team now face the challenge of either finding a replacement opponent or restructuring their event format. The incident highlights the risks promoters face when building events around specific matchups without contractual safeguards.
